Tea leaves and Coffee Beans
by Miali
Summary: Short drabble on a meeting between Kakashi and Iruka. Barest hints of KakaIru.


Title: Tea Leaves and Coffee Beans

Series: Naruto

Author: Miali

Summary: Short drabble on a meeting between Kakashi and Iruka. Barest hints of KakaIru.

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue. I don't own, so you don't sue.

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Iruka is a tea leaf, subtle in flavor but quite powerful if used correctly. A little bitter at times, but there has been enough sugar added to his life to make his brew sweet. Like a leaf, he seems more fragile and weak in comparison to a sturdy bean, and his emotions flutter in the wind.

Kakashi is a coffee bean, powerful and rich. However, beneath the strong flavor lies a hidden aftertaste, one of regret and sorrow. There are often other flavors thrown into the mixture to drown out the bitter taste, like the mask across his face, or a lazy appearance. He is a sturdy bean, a strong ninja and a vital asset to his village, seemingly unchanging and emotionless.

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Iruka sat at the mission desk, sipping the final drops of tea from his mug. The wind howled outside the closed window, an icy chill following behind, threatening snow. The chuunin sighed and set the mug down, moving on to the next mission report. A few red lines were scribbled onto the page; bits of information about the mission a lazy jounin had forgotten to add, or words made clearer through rushed writing. Iruka smiled softly. _The report probably belongs to Genma or Raido; they usually finish theirs while standing in line…_ He chuckled softly and continued thumbing through the pages.

A pale, gloved hand held a mission report under Iruka's scarred nose.

The chuunin blinked quickly. "Ah, thank you, Kakashi-san. If you could wait a moment, I'll check it over quickly for you." The silver-haired jounin nodded as Iruka quickly read over the report, a frown deepening on his face. Kakashi watched the chuunin over the pages of his bright book with growing discontent. At this rate, he'd have to do the whole report over again.

"Ah, well, you see while I was writing it this –" The jounin was cut off by a quick glare from Iruka before he could even get to the good part of his excuse. Beneath his mask, the jounin pouted. (It was a very manly pout, mind you.)

"I don't care why it's not done, Kakashi-san, please finish it. You can sit on that couch over there or use one of the desks, whichever you prefer." Iruka gestured toward a faded brown couch against one wall and the jounin slouched toward it, mission report and pen in hand.

Iruka flipped to the next report. _Raido's, hn?_ He thought, looking over the coversheet before turning the page. _So the last one was Genma's then._ The chuunin smiled as his tanned fingers wrapped around his teacup. He brought the white ceramic container to his lips to find it empty. The schoolteacher sighed and stood, carrying his dolphin mug across the room to the table.

"Ne, Kakashi-san, would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee?" The jounin in question looked up from his mission report.

"Ah, coffee would be nice, thanks." The chuunin nodded as he steeped his tea before eying the coffee container and filling a styrofoam cup.

"Would you like any sugar or cream?" Iruka asked, adding a bit of sugar to his own drink.

"No thanks, Iruka-sensei." Iruka nodded and crossed the tiled floor to where Kakashi sat, before handing him the steaming cup of dark liquid.

Kakashi's single blue eye glanced over the white ceramic mug with the painted dolphins and the silver-haired man laughed softly. Iruka blushed, the pink spreading from the edges of his scar inward across his nose.

"It was a birthday present from Naruto."

"Ah." Iruka's simple sentence said more than any explanation. It was the reason for the worn markings on the handle, and the small chip in the rim. It told why the cup never left the mission room, the place where Iruka spent most of his time, and it was a perfect example of the relationship the teacher and the blonde had. Kakashi smiled warmly beneath his mask as the chuunin turned to go back to his desk.

Half way through Raido's report, Iruka paused. He had heard Kakashi take several sips from the styrofoam cup, and in order to do so, the mask had to be down. The inner prankster in Iruka smirked and his chocolate eyes glanced over at the jounin. The sight he beheld caused him to involuntarily snicker before quickly hiding his laugher.

Kakashi sat on the couch, mission report in hand and mask pulled down. The edge of the styrofoam cup rested between his teeth, and the rest of the cup was tilted up covering his upper lip and the bottom of his nose, leaving the chuunin with only a lightly stubbled chin in view.

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And there you have it – my itty bitty story that popped into my head while I was doing homework… I'll have to put a sketch of it in my DA, I just love the thought of Kakashi chewing on a styrofoam cup for some reason. XD

Questions, comments, and praises are loved! Much much love to my reviewers for all of my stories! You guys are the reason I write. X3

And yes, I know the first two paragraphs don't really fit with the story much, but my muse is stubborn. (And takes great joy in tormenting me while I do my homework) They were too short to stick into a fanfiction of their own, so I just tacked 'em on here. Hope no one minds!

I'd better stop adding notes or they'll be longer than the story!


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